Comm-Based Prot Advisor

Community-Based Protection Advisor

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Community-Based Protection Advisor, is a member of the Community-Based Protection (CBP) Unit in DIP, which is responsible for supporting field teams to operationalize CBP approaches and tools in partnership with persons of concern and host communities, and to improve inclusive protection programming throughout the operations management cycle. The CBP Unit is situated in the Protection Management and Solutions Service in DIP, which has the primary objective of ensuring that UNHCR plans, programmes and advocates jointly with partners for long-term improvements in the protection and solutions environment through the inclusion of all persons of concern in strengthened national systems and empowered communities. 

The incumbent will work closely with other teams in DIP, particularly Comprehensive Solutions, Protection Management, Education, Gender Equality, Child Protection, and SGBV to ensure coherence and a comprehensive approach to CBP in operations. The Community-Based Protection Advisor will work closely with other Divisions, Services and Bureaux, as well as Country Operations to promote and monitor the implementation of UNHCR's CBP approach and to further improve policy and guidance pertinent to supporting community structures and mobilization. 

Through field missions and remotely, the incumbent will provide technical expertise and advice to staff who work directly with communities of concern to identify the risks they face and to leverage their capacities to protect themselves, their families and communities. Guiding field-based staff on the development and maintenance of constructive relationships with persons of concern that measurably impact and enhance protection planning, programming and results, is at the core of the work of the Community-Based Protection Advisor. The incumbent will promote innovative approaches to CBP, including in complex emergencies and insecure settings.

S/he undertakes field missions to assess the CBP situation in country operations, highlighting important political, social, cultural and economic considerations affecting the protection of persons of concern and the identification of solutions. Such missions include direct communication with persons of concern, national authorities and local partners, including community-based organizations and non-traditional partners. The incumbent plans and undertakes quality, timely and effective responses to the needs of all segments of populations of concern, in an AGD-inclusive manner.

The Community-Based Protection Advisor advises senior management on the promotion and replication of AGD-sensitive CBP strategies in the field, by ensuring engagement of persons of concern. The incumbent influences HQ policy decisions, partnerships, and internal and inter-agency processes, by contributing practical lessons learned from field operations, to advance a CBP approach in humanitarian response.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability
- UNHCR¿s CBP interventions and the capacity of UNHCR and partner staff in the application of a CBP approach are strengthened.
- Protection and programme staff in the field are kept up to date on organisational issues/policies as well as recent developments in community engagement and mobilization.
- Staff in the field are equipped to apply the accountability framework and CBP tools to ensure that programmes are designed, implemented, monitored and evaluated in partnership with women, men, girls and boys of concern, from all age, gender and diversity backgrounds. 

Responsibility
- Guide Divisions, Services and Bureaux to develop or revise policy and guidance that take into account lessons learned on CBP in the field and ensure that consultation, partnership with persons of concern and accountability to them are systematic and central to all of UNHCR¿s work.
- Provide HQ Divisions, Services and Bureaux, and Country Operations with guidance and training on the AGD-inclusive participation of persons of concern through continuous assessment and evaluation using participatory, rights and community-based approaches, which inform protection, solutions, and assistance programming.
- Provide guidance and support to Bureaux and Country Operations on the development of sustainable CBP programmes, including in emergencies, undertaking field support missions as required.
- Provide technical support to Country Operations on partnering with persons of concern and local civil society in the development of protection and solutions strategies and operational plans that incorporate a CBP approach.
- Support key country operations to develop and implement protection and solutions strategies that incorporate a thorough age, gender and diversity analysis, identify the needs and capacities of persons of concern and reflect UNHCR's global, regional and country level priorities.
- Provide advice and practical, innovative tools to support operations where remote protection is the primary means of reaching people of concern, such as in complex emergencies and insecure settings, with a focus on building on the capacities of persons of concern and local actors.
- Develop tools and guidelines to support the capacity building of UNHCR and partner staff and oversee related programme expenditure.
- Support field staff in improving national protection and solutions capacities through direct engagement, research and advocacy with relevant external interlocutors.
- Provide effective and timely support and leadership to build staff capacity on protection and engagement of all age, gender and diversity groups and on CBP approaches and methods.
- Work with relevant experts in UNHCR and beyond on engaging communities in the areas outlined above and other key protection priorities, such as SGBV prevention and child protection.
- Participate in consultative processes within UNHCR, with colleagues from a broad range of protection areas and technical sectors, contributing a CBP lens to their work.
- In coordination with field-based staff, prepare and deliver training, including training of trainers, on all aspects of CBP, including: building relationships with communities, outreach, community engagement in the operations management cycle, working with community structures and leadership.
- Document and promote strong, innovative CBP practices, as models for replication.
- Work across Divisions to embed CBP principles in other technical areas and systems (for example, registration, protection information management, needs assessments, clusters).

Authority
- Represent DIP/ the Protection Management and Solutions Service in meetings within UNHCR, covering a range of technical areas, and represent UNHCR with external counterparts on issues relating to CBP.
- Make recommendations and provide advice with respect to protection priorities and programming in key operations to achieve CBP goals.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
- University degree in International Development, Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science, Political Science, Anthropology,  Law or other clearly related disciplines
- Minimum 8 years (6 years with advanced university degree) relevant professional experience with a minimum of 2 years field experience.
- In-depth understanding of UNHCR protection policies, principles and field standards with specific focus on CBP, age, gender and diversity, children and youth, SGBV.
- Applied knowledge of UNHCR operations management cycle, results-based management framework, registration processes, ProGress, programme management, budgeting, project monitoring and reporting.
- Proven ability to engage directly with communities of concern, host communities and national actors as partners in protection, inclusion and co-existence, including in complex emergencies and insecure settings.
- Excellent management and communication skills with strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
- Experience in organizing and leading capacity building events, including the programmatic and administrative aspects.
- Fluency in English.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES
- Demonstrated leadership skills and strategic vision.
- Completion of UNHCR specific learning/training activities (i.e. Protection Learning Programme and Management Learning Programme, etc.).
- Strong IT skills (MS office applications).
- Fluency in Arabic highly desirable.